Hemidrachm of Ptolemy III c. 246

Curator: What strikes me is how this small coin embodies so much history. This is a Hemidrachm of Ptolemy III, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: And it's lovely, isn't it? The gold has such a pleasingly soft sheen, worn smooth from handling, no doubt. It's clear this wasn't merely ornamental. Curator: No, indeed. Minted during Ptolemy III’s reign, it represents not just currency, but also the political and economic power of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. Editor: Look at how the relief would have been stamped. I’d be curious to understand the labor involved, the standardization, and the gold supply. Curator: Gold was power, then and now. These coins circulated through the kingdom, funding everything from monumental architecture to military campaigns. Editor: It’s incredible to think of the human interaction this single coin represents—exchanges, transactions, perhaps even sacrifices made for it. It is quite profound. Curator: Exactly. The life of objects in the world. It’s a small, tangible link to a complex and often turbulent time. Editor: And yet, here it remains, inviting us to reconsider value, empire, and perhaps, what we choose to immortalize.